Visiting both Greece and Turkey is one of the most common ways to enjoy a sea-side vacation in the area. Many travelers choose to visit Athens , take a short trip to one of the Cycladic Islands, followed by visiting the Turkish Riviera.
Summary:
If you have a lot of time on your hands, the cheapest option is to take the bus or the train. If you lack time but your budget is enough for a plane ride, you can get from Athens to Istanbul in about 1 h 20 min.
By plane
Both cities are served by international airports. There are direct flights offered by Olympic Airlines and Turkish Airlines (2 flights per day each). The flight time is about 1h 20 min.
If you decide to book the ticket about 6 weeks in advance, expect to pay €181 per person, one way, economy class (on Olympic Airlines). A RT trip costs €252 per person. All taxes are included and the price is valid for weekdays.
By ferry
The Turkish ports have direct connections only with several Cycladic Islands (Chios, Kos, Lesvos or Rhodes) so if you need to travel by ferry from Athens (Piraues) to Istanbul, the first step is to get to one of those islands.
The following ferry connections are available between Greek islands and Turkey:
Chios (Greece) to Cesme (Turkey)
- daily
- time: 1 h
- price: €25, one way, adult
Kos (Greece) to Bodrum (Turkey):
- daily
- time: 20 min (high speed) or 1 h (regular)
- price: €30, one way, adult (regular)
Lesvos (Greece) to Ayvalik (Turkey)
- almost daily
- time: 1h 30 min (regular)
- price: €40, one way, adult
>>more information on Ferries from Thessaloniki to LesvosRhodes (Greece) to Marmaris (Turkey)
- daily
- time: 1h (high speed)
- price: €50, one way, adult
>>more information on Ferries from Rhodes to Kos (and return)
Rhodes (Greece) to Fethiye (Turkey)
- May & June: 3 times per week
- July & August: daily
- time: 1 h 30 min (high speed)
- price: €58, one way, adult
Rhodes (Greece) to Bodrum (Turkey)
- Monday & Friday
- time: 2 h 15 min (high speed)
- price: €60, one way, adult
Once you arrive in one of the Turkish ports, you need to get to Istanbul. Here are the options:
- from Cesme: by bus (8 hours)
- from Bodrum: by bus (13 hours) or by plane (1h 10 min)
- from Ayvalik: by car or by ferry to Bandirma and then by car
- from Marmaris: by plane from Dalaman (1h 20 min)
- from Fethiye: by bus or plane via Bodrum or Marmaris
Just to give you an idea about the total price and time involved, we’ll assume the following route (in June):
Athens to Rhodes by ferry
- departure: Thu, 7 p.m.
- arrival: Fri, 7:04 a.m.
- price: €53 , economy class
>>more information on Ferries from Athens to Rhodes
Rhodes to Bodrum by ferry
- departure: Fri, 4:30 p.m.
- arrival: Fri, 6:45 p.m.
- price: €60
Bodrum to Istanbul by plane
- departure: 9:35 p.m.
- arrival: 10:45 p.m.
- price: €232 , economy class (Turkish Airlines)
Total cost: €345 per person, one way
Total travel time: 15 h 30 min
By train
In order to get from Athens to Istanbul by train, first you need to get to Thessaloniki. There are several trains per day connecting the two Greek cities and they take between 5h 30 min (intercity) and 5 h 30 min (regular).
>>more information on Getting from Athens to Thessaloniki
Once in Thessaloniki, you can catch the train to Istanbul which leaves two times per day (7:18 a.m. and 7:37 p.m.). The journey takes about 14 hours.
The total ticket price (Athens to Istanbul) is €54 per person, one way, 2nd class.
>>information and prices can be found here
By bus
There are many companies connecting the two cities, offering direct links. There are 5 stops on the way and the journey takes about 22 hours. Ticket prices are around €50.40 per person, one way.
Other related information:
>>Ferries from Athens: How to deal with the Port of Piraeus
>>Getting from Athens to Piraeus
>>Getting from Athens to Meteora
>>Getting from Athens to Santorini
>>Getting to Halkidiki
>>Getting from Athens to Corfu
>>Getting from Thessaloniki to Meteora
>>Getting from Hydra to Santorini (and return)
>>Getting from Thessaloniki to Kavala
